In this episode of the We Need to Act podcast, we are honored to welcome Sara Olsvig, Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC), representing around 180,000 Inuit across Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Russia.
Sara shares her experience leading the global Inuit voice in international forums such as the United Nations, the Arctic Council, and the International Maritime Organization. She explains why Inuit and Indigenous peoples must be at the center of decisions about the Arctic, climate change, biodiversity, and resource governance — guided by the principle “nothing about us without us.”
The conversation explores the Inuit relationship with nature, climate change impacts in the Arctic, environmental protection versus resource extraction, and the human rights dimensions of pollution and biodiversity loss. Sara also addresses current geopolitical tensions surrounding Greenland, the legacy of colonization, self-determination, and why there is “no such thing as a better colonizer.”
Finally, she reflects on resilience, hope, and the importance of multilateral cooperation, Indigenous knowledge, and respect for Arctic peoples in shaping a just and sustainable future.
🎧 A powerful and eye-opening conversation on climate justice, Indigenous rights, and the future of the Arctic.
Episode Highlights
Sara Olsvig, Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council, on representing Inuit across Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Russia
The Arctic as a lived environment, not an empty ice desert
Why Inuit and Indigenous peoples must be part of all decisions affecting their lands and waters
The Arctic warming three to four times faster than the global average
Climate change and pollution as human rights issues
Tensions between environmental protection, resource extraction, and Indigenous livelihoods
Greenland, self-determination, and resistance to renewed colonial narratives
The role of international cooperation and multilateral institutions
Inuit resilience, adaptation, and hope for the future
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